Automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. OLAPP. AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

Patented July 2, 1889.

N. PEYERS. PhakmLilhogrzphen Washinglon. ac.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. CLAPP. AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

Patented July 2, 1889.

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N. PETERS. PlwlvLilho nphen wmzn w, ac.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH OLAPP, OF EVANSTON, ASSIGNOR TO THE OLAPI AUTOMATIC FIRE- EXTINGUISI'IER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,088, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed September 1, 1888. Renewed May 1'7, 1889. Serial No. 811,167. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: A further object is to so construct said Be it known that I, JOSEPH CLAPP, of Evans mechanism that the water cannot be shut off ton, in the county of Cook and State of Illifrom the distributing-pipeswithout causing an nois, have invented certain new and useful alarm to be sounded, thereby preventing un- 55 Improvements in Automatic Fire-Extinguislr authorized persons from tampering with said ing Apparatus, of which the following is a demechanism for unlawful purposes.

scription, reference being had' to the accom- To this end my invention consists in the panying drawings, formingapart of this specicombination of elements hereinafter more fication, in which particularly described and claimed. 60

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a Referring to the drawings,A represents the portion of a building supplied with a standwall of a building, of which B indicates the pipe and water-distrilmting pipes, showing floors. my invention applied thereto, the various 0 is the usual stand-pipe, connected with a parts being in their respective normal posisource of water-supply, such as a tank above 6 5 tions. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, partly or a pump beneath, or both.

in section, of the principal features of my in- D indicates the distributing-pipes, which vention, showing the operative parts in their are provided with automatic sprinklers 'D, respective normal positions. Fig. 3 is a like which are held normally closed by means of view showing said parts, respectively, in their fusible solder in any well-known way.

2o abnormal positions. Fig. 4. is a detail view, In the lower part of the building as, for

partly in section, of a three-way valve, showexample, the engine-room-I place an air-resing the same in its normal position. Fig. 5 ervoir E, which is supplied with compressed is a vertical sectional view of a building, air by means of an air-pump E connected showing a modification of my invention. Fig. therewith. Communicating with said reser- .5 6 is a sectional view in detail of a portion voir is a pipe E which is by preference earof a pipe with a valve therein; and Fig. 7 is ried upward, near to and parallel with the a detail view showing a modification of the stand-pipe (I. In each of the distributingshut-off valve. pipes, near to the stand-pipe, Iplace a valve Like letters of reference indicate like parts F. The valve-seat f is shown in section 111 8o 0 111 the different figures. Figs. 2 and 3. V Said valve is normally open In the extinguishment of fires in factories and is connected with a valve-stemf, which in and other buildings supplied with the usual turn is attached to a flexible diaphragm G, distributing-pipes and automatic sprinklers inclosed in a case or frame G, the whole of the objection has been found in practice that said parts serving to form a shutoff valve of 5 great damage has frequently been done to differential area, and the valve F may be goods and stock, for the reason that the water generally understood as including them. The often continues to flow long after the fire is bottom of said case is connected by means of extinguished. a pipe G to the pipe E or to an intermediate The object of my invention is to overcome pipe, as hereinafter stated, if it is desirable o 40 this objection and to provide means for cutto shut off the water from more than one ting off the flow of water upon any given floor at the same time. Interposed in the floor or portion of a building, or upon all the pipe G is a valve H, having a handle II upon floors, if there are more than one, and at the the outside for rotating the valve-plugll the same time to sound an alarm to indicate that normal positions of said handle and plug be- 5 said wateris thus turned off, so that as soon as ing as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, so that the air the sprinklerswhichhave opened havebeen refrom the reservoir is prevented from passing paired or replaced by new ones the apparatus upwardly to the diaphragm G, while any air maybe readjusted so as to cause the water to which may be contained in the pipe G bere-enter and traverse the pipes as before upon tween the diaphragm G and valve II is free ICO 50 the reopening of one or more of the sprinkto escape through the way h, Figs. 2 and 4,

lers. when the valve H is in its normal position.

In Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, I have indicated a three-way valve for controlling the flow of air in the pipe, in which case it is necessary to form an opening h in the shell of the valve opposite the way h, when in its normal position, as shown in Figs. 2 and l; but a simple stop-cock may be utilized with equal advantage, provided a separate escape is made for the air from the diaphragm G when it is desirablev to open the valve F. When there is more than one floor or more than one set of distributing-pipes, I prefer to employ a separate escape for the air, as stated, in which event the three-way valvemay be dispensed with, as hereinafter set forth.

J represents a box or case located near the valve II and provided with a door J and a suitable lock for fastening the same.

WVithin said case I place a Windlass J to' which is attached a weight and cord 7' j, which, when wound up, is held normally in that position by means of a ratchet J and pawl 7' Said pawl is attached by means of a rod j to the handle H of the valve II. A pivoted arm j is arranged in the case with its free end bearing upon a squareportion of the Windlass J and is in turn connected by means of a rod to a pivoted bell-hammer arranged in proximity to a bell J Upon turning the arm H to an abnormal position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the pawl is released from the ratchet and the weight falls, thereby ringing the alarm and indicating by its position that said valve has been opened. Upon turning the valve H, as described, the compressed air from the reservoir E acts upon the diaphragm-valve G, which in turn closes the valve in the distributing-pipe, with the stem of which it is connected. cannot be closed except by admitting the air thereto, which is dependent upon the opening of the valve II. This cannot be accomplished except'by sounding the alarm in the box J, which operates as a check against closing the valve F by unauthorized persons, and as the alarm is protected by lock and key it is also prevented from thus being interfered with. If there is more than one floor, I prefer to have such alarm-box upon each as well as in the office or engine-room; but a single one in the office or engine-room may serve all purposes. In Figs. 1 and 5 I have shown such a one so located, the pawl 3' of which is actuated by means of a diaphragmvalve K, the stem of which is attached to said pawl, as shown. Said diaphragm-valve is. connected with the valve 11 by means of a pipe K, so that the air from the reservoir may be admitted to said diaphragm either directly through the three-way valve, or as shown in Fig. 5, hereinafter described.

L, Figs. 1 and 5, indicates a pressure-regulator connected with the reservoir to indicate the degree of air-pressure therein.

* In Fig. 1 the valve H, as stated, is shown It will be observed that this valve upon the floor upon which the distributingpipe is located.

In Fig. 5 I have shown my invention as applied to a number of distributing-pipes located upon different floors. It is obvious that in this event the air should be permitted to escape from the diaphragm-valves from but one point, and the three-way valves would permit the air to escape when not desired. I therefore prefer to provide a separate pipe E parallel with the'pipe E and to connect the pipes G therewith. Stop-cocks II, normally closed, are then located in pipes E, which connect the pipes E E In the pipe K, which communicates with the bottom of the pipe E and preferably within the case J, is located an escape-valve K which is normally closed. Upon opening any one of the valves II the air is admitted to the pipe E through which it passes up and down into the several pipes G thus closing all the valves F connected therewith. Simultaneously it actuates the diaphragm K and sounds the alarm in the office. Upon replacing the sprinklers after the fire is extinguished and closing the valve II that has been opened the air from the diaphragms G and K is permitted to escape through the valve K when the weight is wound up and the case locked, thus leaving the apparatus in its normal condition and ready to shut off the water in the distributing-pipes and to sound an alarm whenever any one of the valves II is closed,

whether there be a fire in the building or not.

I have shown a diaphragm-valve of diiferential area as the preferable construction for shutting off the flow of water to the distributing-pipes; but it is obvious that the pipes Gr may be connected with cylinders in lieu of the cases 0, in each of which may be inserted a piston attached to the valve-stem f, the whole forming a shut-off valve of differential area, as shown in Fig. 7. I do not confine myself, therefore, to either form, as I regard one as the mechanical equivalent of the other, my object being to employ a shutoff valve of differential area to be closed by means of compressed air acting upon the larger surface.

The advantages of said invention are that it renders it possible to shut off the flow of water from the distributing-pipes of a building as soon as a fire therein is extinguished, thus avoiding damage by unnecessary flooding, while it is possible for those in charge of the building to know the condition of the shut-off valves through the alarm mechanism,

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination,with the distributingpipes of a fire-extinguishin g apparatus of the class described, of one or more valves of differential area for shutting off the flow of water to the distributing-pipes, a source of compressed air connected therewith by a suitable pipe or pipes, and one or more valves normally closed for admitting said compressed air thereto, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the distributingpipes of a fire-extinguishing apparatus of the class described, of one or more valves of differential area for shutting off the flow of water to the distributing-pipes, a source of compressed air connected therewith by a suitable pipe or pipes, one or more valves normally closed for admitting said compressed air thereto, and means, as an escape-valve, for permitting the escape of air from the shut-off valves when it is desirable to open the same, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the distributingpipes of a fire-extinguishing apparatus of the class described, of one or more valves of differential area for shutting off the flow of water to the distributing-pipes, a source of compressed air connected therewith bya suitable pipe or pipes, one or more valves normally closed for admitting said compressed air thereto, means for permitting the escape thereof from said shut-off valve when it is de sired to open the same, and an alarm mechanism in operative connection with said valve or valves by which the flow of air is regulated, substantially as shown and described.

l. The combination, with the distributingpipes of an automatic fire-extinguishing sys tem, of one or more normally-open dilferential valves for shutting off the flow of water to the distributing-pipes, a source of com pressed air, a pipe or pipes for conducting the same to said differential valves, normallyclosed shut-off valves located in said pipe and in operative communication with an automatic alarm mechanism, and means, as described, for inclosing' and locking said alarm mechanism, whereby the opening of said shut-off valve may close said diiferential Valves and sound an alarm by means of a mechanism protected from unauthorized interference, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of January, 1888.

JOSEPH CLA'PP.

Witnesses:

D. II. FLETCHER, J. B. HALPENNY. 

